Online Professional Development Certificates

We offer two Professional Development Certificates Fully Online:

English Language Development for Academic Literacy Certificate
This certificate program provides K-12 teachers and other education professionals with specialized preparation for developing academic literacy assessment, curriculum, and teaching methods specifically designed to meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs). Read more.

Dual Language Certificate
The purpose of this certificate program is to provide, K-12 teachers and other education professionals with specialized course work in Dual Language programming. This construct provides instruction in two languages and is aimed for students to develop competencies in bilingualism, biliteracy and biculturalism / multiculturalism. Read more

Note: You can obtain this Professional Development Certificate in 2 semesters. In addition, all courses completed with a grade of B or better are applicable to the Master of Arts degree in Education.

Stipend opportunities available to participants living or employed in San Diego County. Visit Project CORE for more information.

English Language Development for Academic Literacy Certificate

This certificate program provides K-12 teachers and other education professionals with specialized preparation for developing academic literacy assessment, curriculum, and teaching methods specifically designed to meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs).

The Academic Literacy Certificate provides further development in theory and methods for evaluation, development, and implementation of (a) appropriate language assessment, (b) effective instruction to ELLs specific to developing academic literacy in English, and (c) culturally responsive curriculum and teaching strategies.

The program is designed for professionals working in programs or classrooms with diverse language learners. Successful applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and hold a current teaching or administrative credential. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained in certificate coursework with no less than a grade of B in any course. Required courses (12 units) include:

Note: descriptions below have been updated for 2013. These updates are not yet reflected in the course catalog.

DLE 600B Foundations of Critical (Bi)literacy Development
This course will focus on the principles of critical literacy and democratic schooling for schools with high numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Participants will examine bilingual, dual language and English-only program models for language learners and apply policies and practices informed by current research, state and national standards (e.g. Common Core) to literacy curriculum and pedagogy. The outcome of this course will be for teachers to develop ideological clarity on what it means to be an effective teacher to develop a plan of enacting principles of democratic practices and critical pedagogy in their classrooms.

DLE 650 Curriculum Development for Urban School Communities
This course will involve participants in examining curriculum models used in English only, dual language and bilingual programs, as informed by current research, state and national standards (e.g. Common Core). It will take an action research approach to examine program models, processes and products.

DLE 553 Language Assessment & Development
This course will consider the processes of teaching literacy for Common Core across content areas and subject matter in grades k-12, informed by current research, state and national standards (e.g. Common Core). The processes of language and literacy assessment will be analyzed, as well as the examination of transfer skills from L1 to L2. Participants will complete case studies of students to determine appropriate language for literacy instruction and determine the best approach for English and non-English speaking students in the classroom. Issues of oral and written language will be considered as well as teacher assessments and more formal district and state mandated assessment measures.

DLE 651 Curriculum, Teaching, and Assessment: ELD and SDAIE
English language development and delivery of comprehensive instruction for English learners. Strategies for implementing state adopted instruction programs for ELD in language and content. (Formerly numbered Policy Studies in Language and Cross-Cultural Education 651.)

All courses completed with a grade of B or better are applicable to the Master of Arts degree in Education with Concentration in Dual Language and English Learner Education and a Specialization in Critical Literacy and Social Justice (up to 9 unit transfer limit).

Dual Language for Academic Literacy Certificate

The purpose of this certificate program is to provide, K-12 teachers and other education professionals with specialized course work in Dual Language programming. This construct provides instruction in two languages and is aimed for students to develop competencies in bilingualism, biliteracy and biculturalism/ multiculturalism.

The design of this certificate program is to develop leadership among bilingual teachers currently working in dual language or two-way immersion programs in K-12 settings. The course work in this program will allow teachers to develop expertise in philosophical/ideological principles, pedagogy and curriculum and program processes for effective biliteracy program development.

Successful applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and hold a current teaching or administrative credential, hold a Spanish Bilingual Credential and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in certificate coursework with no less than a grade of "B" in any course.

Note: descriptions below have been updated for 2013. These updates are not yet reflected in the course catalog.

DLE 600B Foundations of Critical (Bi)literacy Development
This course will focus on the principles of critical literacy and democratic schooling for schools with high numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Participants will examine bilingual, dual language and English-only program models for language learners and apply policies and practices informed by current research, state and national standards (e.g. Common Core) to literacy curriculum and pedagogy. The outcome of this course will be for teachers to develop ideological clarity on what it means to be an effective teacher to develop a plan of enacting principles of democratic practices and critical pedagogy in their classrooms.

DLE 650 Curriculum Development for Urban School Communities
This course will involve participants in examining curriculum models used in English only, dual language and bilingual programs, as informed by current research, state and national standards (e.g. Common Core). It will take an action research approach to examine program models, processes and products.

DLE 553 Language Assessment & Development
This course will consider the processes of teaching literacy for Common Core across content areas and subject matter in grades k-12, informed by current research, state and national standards (e.g. Common Core). The processes of language and literacy assessment will be analyzed, as well as the examination of transfer skills from L1 to L2. Participants will complete case studies of students to determine appropriate language for literacy instruction and determine the best approach for English and non-English speaking students in the classroom. Issues of oral and written language will be considered as well as teacher assessments and more formal district and state mandated assessment measures.

DLE 604 Learning and Teaching Language in a Dual-language Setting
This course will examine the fundamentals of dual language instruction with a focus on how teachers model oral and grammatical structures in language, with special attention to Spanish and English. The course will guide teachers on how to introduce and develop language acquisition and written structures from K to 12th grade. Special emphasis will be placed on the teaching of written structures for academic literacy and achievement.

All courses completed with a grade of B or better are applicable to the Master of Arts degree in Education with Concentration in Dual Language and English Learner Education and a Specialization in Critical Literacy and Social Justice (up to 9 unit transfer limit).